An afternoon marlin catch at Shelter Island took an unexpected turn yesterday, leading to injuries to two men when a crane collapsed while lifting a catch weighing in at over 500 pounds. Officials reported that the crane gave way due to the massive size of the blue marlin, which was being lifted from a boat for weighing, according to CBS 8. A city spokesperson confirmed that the men fell into the water amidst the chaos, and although they were out when medics arrived, one man suffered a leg injury and the other a possible back injury.
The incident, which has been described as unusual, occurred when Roger Evraets was operating the crane. "I was running the crane when we were picking the fish up off the boat to weigh it, and as we picked the fish up off the boat, the crane gave out. It snapped because the fish was too big and it came crashing down on the boat," Evraets told CBS 8. Nearby residents heard the collapse, with Elizabeth LaCosta stating to ABC 10News, "We heard this loud crash and figured it was just some construction." The sound of metal crashing was evident even from a mile away, indicating the gravity of the equipment failure.
San Diego Fire-Rescue units rushed to the scene, with Battalion Chief Jared Deneen remarking, "When San Diego fire units arrived at scene, there were in fact two patients who were not trapped at the time we got here, they were actually up on the dock but were definitely injured from what appears to be old steel crane that maybe it just kind of rusted out and gave way and ended up landing on the fishing boat." Both men were subsequently taken to UCSD Medical Center in Hillcrest to treat their injuries. CBS 8 reports the specifics of their condition.
The magnitude of the marlin took aback locals, as noted fishermen typically capture marlins in the 150 to 250-pound range, making this occurrence a rarity for San Diego waters. "That’s what I’ve heard, and it makes sense," Charlie Colson, a Shelter Island resident, told ABC 10News regarding the marlin's size overwhelming the equipment. This sentiment was echoed by LaCosta, who remarked that the blue marlin, captured off the Coronado Islands, was the first of its size in about fifteen years in the San Diego area.
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